Purpose – The purpose of this exploratory research is to identify and measure the promotion of knowledge-oriented management in United Arab Emirates (UAE) industries.

Design/methodology/approach – This study was guided through questionnaires that surveyed 129 industrial firms, which represent 45 per cent of the total industrial firms that are located in Abu Dhabi Emirates. 103 participants completed and submitted their questionnaires (response rate: 79 per cent, which is sufficient for exploratory research). The Directory of the Chamber of Commerce was the source of the study definitions.

Findings – The findings revealed that some indications of knowledge-oriented management were above the medium level (firm’s missions and visions and firm’s attitudes). The indices for human resources and management perceptions were average, but the firm’s system was lower than average and the knowledge management level followed an increasing pace. In conclusion, some strategies were provided to increase the effectiveness of KM in the industry.